The Punjab Home Department on Saturday extended the province-wide imposition of Section 144 for another week, citing security threats amid continuing tensions with the religious political party Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).
Article 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code is a legal provision that empowers district administrations to prohibit a gathering of four or more people in an area for a limited period. It was imposed from Thursday until today amid the government’s repression against the TLP after its violent protests.
A complete province-wide ban was imposed on the display of all types of weapons, the use of loudspeakers and the publication and distribution of inflammatory, hateful or sectarian material. The ban did not apply to wedding ceremonies, funerals and burials, and loudspeakers could only be used to deliver sermons in mosques and call for prayers.
The Interior Department order issued today said it was evident that “the perceived threat to public peace, tranquility, and law and order has not diminished” upon review of the latest reports and threat assessments discussed by law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
A statement from the Interior Department spokesperson said the order was issued in light of concerns about terrorism and public safety.
“Due to security threats, public processions and sit-ins could become easy targets for terrorists. Miscreants could exploit public protests to carry out anti-state activities to achieve their nefarious objectives,” he added.
“The continuation of the restrictions is considered essential to prevent any possible disturbance of public order, sectarian strife or commission of any crime, and to ensure the safety of lives and property of the general public,” the order said.
After tensions, violence and chaos prevailed for several days, Punjab remained largely peaceful on Friday as no incident of violence or hostile gatherings was reported anywhere in the province in response to the call made by the TLP to its workers to organize protest rallies against the police action in Muridke.
The TLP failed to even get its workers onto the roads of Lahore, where it had been staging violent protests for the past few days. Reports suggest that the Punjab Police successfully established the injunction in the provincial capital and other cities where traffic and businesses continued to function while students attended their educational institutions as usual on Friday.
People were seen shopping in the city’s markets, while outlets of multinational companies, especially fast food outlets, also remained open.
A large-scale operation carried out by law enforcement before dawn on Monday to dismantle the TLP protest camp in Muridke had led to violent clashes, widespread chaos and multiple arrests. The party had undertaken what it described as a “Gaza solidarity” march, vowing to reach Islamabad and protest outside the US embassy.
According to official figures, up to 2,716 people were arrested after the Muridke operation. Of them, around 251 were arrested by the Lahore police and 178 by the Sheikhpura police.
Even as police intensify their crackdown on the group following the events in Muridke, authorities have decided to take a series of measures to “neutralize” the threat that the TLP has posed to law enforcement and non-Muslim communities since its inception.
The decision to limit the party’s activities is linked to some crucial meetings, where the TLP’s tainted record of violent agitations, fatal attacks on law enforcement, as well as looting of Christian and Ahmadiyya places of worship were discussed.
Tallal Chaudhry, Minister of State for Home Affairs, has said that action against TLP protesters will be taken in a similar manner to those involved in the May 9, 2023 riots, which led to a nationwide crackdown on the PTI.
The federal government had previously imposed a ban on TLP in April 2021 on the recommendation of the Punjab government.
The ban was later revoked in November of that year at the request of the Punjab government, days after a deal was reached with the group to end its violent protest march towards Islamabad.
Restrictions were also briefly imposed on the TLP in June 2023, when the party was on a long march from Lahore to Islamabad. Restrictions lifted under an agreement reached on June 17, 2023 included a ban on coverage of the match on social and electronic media.
